Seamed container with easy opening feature



March 19, 1968 w. A. VOIGTMAN, SR, ETAL 3,373,926

SEAMED CONTAINER WITH EASY OPENING FEATURE Filed May 14, 1965 '3 316.1 Q EmZ NVENTO 6 8 FLORREN E.LONG

ATTORNEYS I I WALTER A.VOIGTMAN, SR.

United States Patent York Filed May 14, 1965, Ser. No. 455,699 18 Claims. (Cl. 22966) This invention relates to bags of the type formed by folding longitudinal edge portions of sheet material into contiguous relationship and sealing a separate strip of material to the longitudinal edge portions to form generally tubular bag bodies, and is particularly directed to the provision of anti-weld means between a portion of the strip and the bag body to prevent a minor portion of the strip from adhering to the bag body, the minor portion serving to be grasped and pulled for removing a major portion of the strip from the bag body incident to the removal of a packaged product from the interior of the bag through an opening defined by the longitudinal edge portions of the body.

In many conventional multi-wall, duplex and other bags constructed from paper or plastic material the bags have a back seal formed by securing together edge portions of the material after the material has been formed into a generally tubular configuration. When the material of the bag body proper has no heat sealing characteristics it is necessary to use adhesives to bond the edge portions together, .and in such cases, a face-toback or overlapped joint is practically always made.

When the bag body is constructed fromheat sealable material it is possible to heat seal such bags in lieu of or in addition to the use of adhesives. For example, if compatible heat sealable coatings are present on both-the inside surface and the outside surface of the bag body, a face-to-back or overlapped heat sealed joint is normally formed. However, a situation which is encountered quite frequently is where one surface of the bag body is adhesively incompatible with the opposite surface of the bag body and a face-to-back seal cannot be made as, for example, a single wall bag made from a laminate of cellophane and polyethylene. In such a case, it is possible to form a back-toback or fin joint. However, it is common to use one-quarter to one-half inch more material in manufacturing bags having fin seals or joints and this is again objectionable from a cost standpoint.

There are many other objections to bags having fin seals in addition to the added quantity of material involved. For example, many bag machines can only produce a face-toback seal and cannot be readily or economically converted to form a fin seal. Furthermore, a fin seal complicates the production of hermetic top and bottom seals because of the added thickness of material present at the center of such top and bottom seals when the fin is folded over against the exterior of the bag body in a customary manner.

A further objection to bags having either adhesive or heat-sealed type back seams is the difiiculty of opening such bags to gain access to the interior thereof and the product packaged therein. This difliculty is evident in bags having heat-sealed cross-seams and it is common for consumers, and children particularly, to bite the cross seams to initiate a tear as in bags containing potato chips and other snack-type products. Furthermore, once a tear is initiated in such conventional bags it is irregularly shaped and presents a distinct disadvantage to withdrawing products packaged therein, or leads to a-premature destruction of the bag as a container.

It is, therefore, a primary object of this invention to Patented Mar. 19, 1968 eliminate the above-noted and other disadvantages in conventional back seam bags by providing a bag having a back seam constructed from a sheet of material and formed to a generally tubular configuration with edge portions thereof in contiguous relationship, i.e., either slightly overlapped, in butting spaced relationship or in abutment, a sealing strip secured to the edge portions, a cross seam at each of opposite ends of the bag, and antiweld material between the strip and the juncture of one of the cross seams and its associated edge portions whereby the anti-weld material prevents a free end portion of the strip from adhering to the bag body proper and forms a tab which can be grasped and pulled for removing the strip from the body incident to the removal of a packaged product from the body through an opening between the edge portions thereof.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel method of forming a bag of the type immediately described above by transporting a first sheet of material in a predetermined direction and bringing opposite edge portions of the sheet into contiguous relationship to form the sheet into a generally tubular configuration, directing a strip of material in the predetermined direction into overlying relationship to the opposite edge portions of the tubular sheet, applying a spot coating of barrier material to one of opposed surface portions of the sheet or strip to prevent the coated surface portions from being secured to each other upon subsequent operations, thereafter securing the strip to the edge portions of the first sheet to form a seamed tube closed longitudinally thereof except at the opposed coated surface portions, and cross sealing the tube across the opposed coated portions without securing the opposed portions to each other whereby upon the charging of the bag with a product and the subsequent cross sealing of the opposite end portion of the bag the strip can be grasped in the area of the unattached opposed surface portions and pulled to remove the strip from the bag to permit product-dispensing through an opening between the longitudinal edge portions of the bag body.

A further object of this invention is to provide a readily openable package or bag including a body formed from sheet material having longitudinal edge portions in contiguous relationship whereby the body is of a generally tubular configuration, the body including axially spaced first and second end portions, transverse sealing means sealing the end portions, a sealing strip overlying the longitudinal edge portions between the first and second end portions, means bonding a major portion of the strip to the longitudinal edge portions and to the first end portion, and means preventing the bonding means from bonding a minor tab portion of the strip to the body at the second end portion whereby the tab portion remains free of the bag body and can be grasped and pulled for removing the major portion of the strip from the body incident to the removal of a packaged product through an opening between the longitudinal edge portions thereof, the means preventing bonding being a coating of barrier material on the body at the juncture of the second end portion and the longitudinal edge portions.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel bag of the type immediately above set forth in which the sheet material of the body includes inner and outer adhesively incompatible surfaces and the longitudinal edge portions being in lapped relationship, the longitudinal edge portions thereby being free of each other but secured by the bonding means to the strip.

With the above, and other objects in view that will hereinafter appear, the nature of the invention will be more clearly understood by reference to the following detailed description, the appended claims and the several views illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary front elevational view of apparatus for manufacturing novel bags in accordance with this invention, and illustrates the application of barrier material to a tube, the application of a sealing strip to the tube, and subsequent heat sealing and severing means for forming individual bags.

FIGURE 2 is an elevational view of the apparatus of FIGURE 1 rotated ninety degrees clockwise with certain elements removed for clarity, and more clearly illustrates the application of the barrier material and the sealing strip to the tube.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken generally along line 3-3 of FIGURE 1 and illustrates a hollow mandrel about which the tube is formed and longitudinal edge portions of the tube in coplanar butt relationship.

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of a bag or package constructed in accordance with this invention and illustrates a free tab portion of the strip prior to being grasped and pulled toward and beyond the position shown in phantom outline to open the bag.

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken generally along line 55 of FIGURE 4, and illustrates a spot of anti-Weld material adjacent the tab portion of the strip.

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary schematic front elevational view of another apparatus constructed in accordance with this invention, and illustrates means for successively applying barrier material and adhesive to a sealing strip prior to uniting the strip with longitudinal edge portions of a tube.

A novel apparatus constructed in accordance with this invention is best illustrated in FIGURES 1 through 3 of the drawing and is generally referred to by the reference numeral 10. The apparatus 10 includes a cylindrical hollow mandrel 11 having an interior chamber 12 (FIG- URE 3). The mandrel 11 is positioned vertically and supported in this position by conventional supports (not shown). A hopper 13 provided with a dispensing valve (not shown) is supported atop the mandrel 11. The hopper 13 is filled with a suitable product, such as potato chips, which is dispensed in predetermined quantities through the chamber 12 of the mandrel 11 in a manner to be described fully hereafter.

A roll 14 of sheet material M is freely rotatably supported on a shaft 15 adjacent an upper end portion of the mandrel 11 and the hopper 13. The sheet M may be constructed from paper, glassine, plastic film, cellophane, a transparent plastic, a transparent laminate or an opaque laminated structure, and opposite surfaces 16, 17 of the sheet may be free of any coatings or may be coated on one or both surfaces to enhance the appearance of the sheet, render either or both of the surfaces heat scalable, improve the water vapor transmission rate, serve as a gas barrier or to minimize grease staining, etc. The specific material of the sheet M and the coatings or lack of coatings thereon may be varied depending upon the product to be packaged, the marking concepts of the producer of the product, etc., but for purpose of describing the apparatus 10, the surfaces 16 and 17 of the sheet M are both heat sealable.

The sheet M is drawn through a conventional press P which suitably decorates the sheet M to identify the product, the manufacturer, etc. The sheet M thereafter passes over a suitably supported freely rotatable guide roller 18 into partial overlying relationship to an upper portion of the mandrel 11. After passing beyond the roller 18, the sheet M is introduced into a conventional forming device 20 which forms the sheet M into a generally tubular configuration (FIGURE 3) with opposite generally parallel edge portions 21, 22 of the sheet in abutting relationship. While the edge portions 21, 22 are preferably in abutting relationship, these edge portions may be overlapped slightly or may be spaced slightly from the abutting relationship best illustrated in FIGURE 3, but at all times are in contiguous relationship to each other.

A tank or reservoir 23 having a nozzle 24 is conventionally supported adjacent the forming mechanism 20 and an applicator mechanism or applicator arm 25. The nozzle 24 is of a porous construction and permits material in the tank 23 to build up on the exterior of the nozzle 24. This built up material is transferred to each of two end portions 27, 28 of the applicator arm 25 by a brushing action as they pass across the end face (unnumbered) of the nozzle 24. After passing beyond the nozzle 24 the material on the end portions 27, 28 is transferred to the tubular-shaped sheet M across the longitudinal edge portions 21, 22 in the form of a coating 30 (FIGURE 2) which is illustrated as being generally rectangular in outline. The coating 30 prevents a second sheet of strip S of material from being bonded to the exterior surface 17 of the material M upon subsequent heat sealing operations as will appear more fully hereafter.

The material (not shown) in the reservoir 23 is nonheat-sealing, anti-Weld material, such as nitro-cellulose lacquer. Since at least a surface 31 (FIGURES 1 and 3) of the strip S is heat scalable, the coating 30' prevents the underlying portion (unnumbered) of the surface 17 of the material M from adhering to an opposed overlying portion of the surface 31.

The strip S is drawn from a roll of material 32 freely rotatably supported by a shaft 33. The strip 33 is drawn over a guide roll 34 toward and into contact with the longitudinal edge portions 21, 22 of the tubular material M after which a conventional heat sealing mechanism 35 heat seals the strip S to each of the longitudinal edge portions 21, 22 to form a tube T (FIGURE 1). The tube T is closed along the seam, generally referred to by the reference numeral 36, except at each of the spot coatings 30 of the barrier material, as illustrated by the stippling in FIGURE 2 of the drawing.

As the tube T is drawn beyond a discharge end 37 0f the mandrel 11 a pair of opposed heat sealers 40, 41 (FIGURE 1) are reciprocated toward each other by conventional means (not shown) to form a transverse line of heat sealing 42 (FIGURE 2) across and substantially wider than each of the spots of barrier material 30. The spots of barrier material 30 again prevent the strip S from being heat sealed to the tube T during the heat sealing operation performed by the heat sealers 40 and 41.

Prior to or immediately after the formation of the cross seal 42, the valve (not shown) is operated to discharge a product downwardly through the chamber 12 and the end .37 of the mandrel 11 into the partially sealed tube. Thereafter the heat sealers 40 and 41 are again reciprocated toward each other to form another transverse or cross seal across a subsequent spot of barrier material 30, and this operation is repeated to form a plurality of bags or packages 45 interconnected by the cross seals 42.

A pair of conveyor belts 46, 47 (FIGURE 1) draw the interconnected bags 45 downwardly, as viewed in this same figure, toward a. severing mechanism formed by a pair of reciprocal blades 50, 51 which are reciprocated in timed relationship to the movement of the interconnected bags 45 by conventional means (not shown). The blades 50, 51 sever the interconnected bags 45 substantially midway between the cross seals 42 along a cutline CC of FIGURE 2 to simultaneously form a top seal 52 of a trailing bag and a bottom seal 53 of a leading bag. The line of severance CC frees each of the portions of the strip S overlying the associate coatings 30 as will appear more fully from FIGURES 4 and 5 of the drawings.

A bag or package 60 of FIGURE 4 is identical to each of the bags 45 after the latter have been cut along the severance line C-C and comprises a generally tubular body 61. The bag 60 of FIGURE 4 is shown in an inverted position in relation to the bags 45 of FIGURES 1 and 2 of the drawing, and includes a first or bottom portion 62 axially spaced from a second or top portion 63. Opposed longitudinal edge portions 64, 65 of the bag 60 correspond to the longitudinal edge portions 21, 22 respectively of the bags 45. A strip 66 corresponding to the strip S is heat sealed to the edge portions 64, 65 between a bottom edge 67 of the body 61 and the lower edge (unnumbered) of a generally rectangular spot of anti-weld or barrier material 70 corresponding to the barrier material coatings 30 of FIGURE 2. A cross seal 71 at the bottom portion 62 of the body 61 and a cross seal 72 at the top portion 63 correspond to the respective portions 53, 52 of the bags 45. However, because of the barrier material 70 opposed surface portions of the strip 66 and the body proper '61 in the area of the coating 70 prevents a portion 75 (FIGURE of the strip 66 from adhering to the body 61. The portion 75 remains free and can be grasped and pulled toward and beyond the phantom outline position of the strip 66 in FIG- URE 4 to partially or totally remove the strip 66 from the edge portions 64, 65 of the bag body 61. A product packaged in the bag 60 may now be dispensed through an opening of the body 61 between the edge portions 64, 65 which at no time are sealed to each other but are sealed only to the strip 66.

In lieu of the apparatus 20 for practicing this invention, an apparatus 80 of FIGURE 6 is provided for forming bags corresponding to the bags 45 and 60'. However, the apparatus 80 is particularly constructed for applying barrier or anti-weld material to a surface 81 of a strip of material 82 drawn from a freely rotatable roll 83, as opposed to applying the barrier material to a tubular sheet of material 84 formed about a mandrel 85 as in the case of the apparatus 10. The apparatus 80 is particularly adapted to secure the strip or sheet 82 to the sheet 84 when the opposed surfaces of these sheets are constructed from material which is not heat sealable or fusible although the inner surface (unnumbered) of the material 84 adacent the mandrel 85 is heat sealable. For purposes of describing the apparatus 80, the material 84 can be considered a cellophane-polyethylene laminate with the polyethylene ply forming the interior of the tubular sheet adjacent the mandrel while the strip 82 is constructed from cellophane.

The apparatus 80 includes a reservoir or tank 86 and an applicating mechanism 87 corresponding identically in structure and function to the respective tank 23 and applicator mechanism 25 of the apparatus 10. The barrier material, such as non-heat-sealing nitrocellulose lacquer, in the tank 86 is deposited upon end portions 88, 90 of the applicator mechanism 87 and transferred to the surface 81 of the strip 82 in the form of spot coatings 91, only one such coating being illustrated in FIGURE 6 of the drawing. A thin film 92 of heat sealable material, such as heat-scalable nitrocellulose, is thereafter applied to the surface 81 of the strip 82 from a reservoir 93 by a spray nozzle 94. The strip is guided by a guide roll 83 into overlying spanning relationship to longitudinal edge portions (not shown) of the material 84 and is thereafter heat sealed to these longitudinal edge portions by a heat seal roller 94. The heat sealing forms a seam 95 which is closed except for opposing portions of the strip 82 and the material 85 in the area of the non-heatsealing coatings 91. Reciprocal heat sealers 96, 97, corresponding to the heat sealers 40, 41 of the apparatus 10, are reciprocated to the position shown in FIGURE 6 to form a transverse or cross heat-sealed seam corresponding to the heat-seal seam 42 of FIGURE 2. The interior polyethylene ply of the cellophane polyethylene laminate of the material 84 seals to itself by the action of the heat sealers v96, 97. Upon subsequent product-charging, transverse sealing and severing, the resulting bag (not shown) corresponds to the bag 60 and includes a free tab of the seam which is grasped and pulled incident to the removal of the packaged product.

While preferred forms of the invention have been thus far disclosed, other variations in both the apparatus and the bags will be apparent to those skilled in the art. For example, in lieu of the strips S or the strip 82, a strip having a pressure-sensitive adhesive surface may be employed to form bags corresponding to the bags 45 and 60. Spot coatings of lacquer to which the strips would not adhere would be applied to the sheet material M in the area of the spot coatings 30 and corresponding areas on the exterior surface of the sheet 84. The pressure sensitive tape or strip would then be urged under pressure but in the absence of heat into intimate sealing contact with longitudinal edge portions of the material forming the bag body to form a longitudinal seam closed in all areas except at those portions lacquered. Upon subsequent cross sealing, charging, cross sealing and severing, the bags formed are substantially identical to the bags 45, 60 with one major difference and advantage, i.e., after the bags have been once opened, they may be rescaled because of the pressure sensitive nature of the strip.

The strip S and the sheet M may be laminates, such as cellophane-polyethylene. The polyethylene ply of the strip S would be directed into contact with edge portions of the exterior polyethylene ply of the material M and thereafter heat sealed by the mechanism 3-5 in the manner heretofore described.

Instead of employing a pre-coated strip, such as the strip S of FIGURE 1, or a strip which is coated immediately prior to being applied to the bag body proper, such as the strip 82 of FIGURE 6, or a pressure sensitive strip, it is also considered within the scope of this invention to employ solvent activated strips or tapes. These solvent activated stripes are pre-co-ated with a material which has no adhesive properties until activated with water or an organic solvent shortly before being brought into contact with the edge portions of the bag body. A common gummed sealing tape is an example of a solvent activated tape. By employing such a tape in lieu of the strip S, for example, major longitudinal portions of the edge portions 21, 22 of the material M would be moistened by .an applicator roll while minor portions, corresponding to the coated areas 30, would be left uncoatcd. The solvent activated tape would adhere to the major moistened portions of the edges 21, 22 but, because of the absence of the activating liquid at the minor portions, the tape would not adhere to these portions. Upon subsequent cross-sealing, charging, cross-sealing and severing, the bags so formed would be identical to the bags 45, 60 and would include a free terminal portion corresponding to the portion 75 (FIGURE 5) opposing an uncoa-ted area corresponding to the area of the coating 70 of FIGURE 5. In this case, the free minor tab portion of the bags is obtained by omitting the application of a coating to those areas which are to be left free while applying a coating of material to those areas of the tape and bag which are to be sealed.

When bags are constructed in accordance with this invention by employing pressure-sensitive tape, the formation of a minor tab portion corresponding to the portion 75 (FIGURE 5) can be formed in one of two ways. If a high tack pressure-sensitive tape, such as Scotch tape, is used a coating of silicone or soft wax to which this type of tape would have little or no adhesion would be applied to either the tape or the bag material. The resultant bag would be of the resealable type described heretofore. However, another type of pressure-sensitive tape is known and is generally referred to as a self-sealing tape which is most frequently used on self-sealing envelopes. Such selfsealing tapes generally include an adhesive having a natural rubber latex base which has little or no adhesion for paper, foil and most plastic films but sticks or adheres strongly to itself. That is, such self-sealing tapes have relatively poor adhesive properties in the dry state but excellent cohesive properties. By substituting a self-sealing tape of a particular adhesive composition for the tape S and applying the same adhesive composition to major portions of the edges 21 and 22 of the web M but not to the minor portions of the web M corresponding to the coated areas 30, the self-sealing tape would adhere to the major coated areas but would not adhere to the minor uncoated areas. A free minor tabv portion would again be eifected by omitting any application of the self-sealing adhesive composition in the areas 30 rather than placing a non-adhesive material or anti-weld material as heretofore described.

Under normal conditions the webs or material M and 84 generally carry decoration including the identification of the bag contents, the manufactured name, price information, etc., and a further provision of this invention; is to apply the anti-weld material to the Webs M, 84- while the same are passing through a conventional gravure or fiexographic press, such as the press P of FIGURE 1,v thereby eliminating the necessity of applying the anti-Weld material to the bag body during the formation andcharging thereof. This eliminates the possibility of introducing trace amounts of solvents of the anti-weld material into the food product package.

The bag web or material M can also be coated along the longitudinal edges 21, 22 thereof with a self-sealing adhesive composition at one printing station of a conventional press in the case in which a self-sealing tape having a similar adhesive composition is to be applied to the edge portions 21, 22 to form the bag. Here again, the self-sealing adhesive composition would be applied continually along both edge portions 21, 22 of the web M or the web 84 during the printing operation except in the areas of the coatings 30 where the composition would be omitted.

:From the foregoing, it will be seen that novel and advantageous provisions have been made .for carrying out the desired end. However, attention is again directed to the fact that additional variations may be made in this invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof as defined in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A readily openable package comprising a generally tubular body, said body having first and second end portions, transverse sealing means sealing one of said end portions, means closing the other of said end portions, said body having contiguous longitudinal edge portions extending from said first end portion toward said second end portion, a sealing strip overlying said edge portions, means securing a major portion of said strip to said longitudinal edge portions, and means preventing said securing means from securing a minor tab portion of said strip to said one end portion whereby said tab portion remains free of said body and can be grasped and pulled for at least partially removing the major portion of the strip from the body incident to the removal of the packaged product through said body between the longitudinal edge portions thereof.

2. A readily openable package comprising a body, said body being formed from sheet material having longitudinal edge portions in contiguous relationship whereby said body is of a generally tubular configuration, said body including axially spaced first and second end portions, transverse sealing means sealing said first and second end portions, a sealing strip overlying said longitudinal edge portions between said first and second end portions, means bonding a major portion of said strip to said longitudinal edge portions and said first end portion, and means preventing said bonding means from bonding a minor tab portion of said strip to said body at said second endportion whereby said tab portion remains free of said body and can be grasped and pulled for removing the major portion of the strip from the body incident tothe removal of a packaged product from said body through an opening between the longitudinal edge portions thereof, said last-mentioned means being a coating of barrier material on said body at the juncture of said second end portion and said longitudinal edge portions.

3. The package as defined in claim 1 wherein, said last-mentioned means is a coating of barrier material on said tab portion.

4. The package as defined in claim 2 wherein said longitudinal edge portions are in butt relationship.

5. The package as defined in claim 2 wherein said longitudinal edge portions are in lapped relationship.

6. The package as defined in claim 3 wherein said longitudinal edge portions are in butt relationship.

7. The package as defined in claim 3 wherein said longitudinal edge portions are in lapped relationship.

8. The package as defined in claim 7 wherein the sheet material of said body includes opposite adhesively incompatible surfaces, and said surfaces being in opposed relationship in the area of said longitudinal edge portions whereby said longitudinal edge portions are free of each other but secured by said bonding means to said strip.

9. A readily openable package comprising a body, said body being formed from heat-scalable sheet material having longitudinal edge portions in contiguous relationship whereby said body is of a generally tubular configuration, said body including axially spaced first and second end portions, a transverse line of heat sealing closing said first and second end portions, a strip of heat-scalable material overlying said longitudinal edge portions between said first and second end portions, said strip being heatsealed to said longitudinal edge portions at least between said transverse lines of heat sealing, and barrier coating means between a tab portion of said strip and a portion of said body at a juncture of one of said transverse lines of heat sealing and said longitudinal edge portions for preventing said tab portion from being heat sealed to said juncture and remaining free whereby said tab portion can be grasped and pulled for removing a major portion of the strip from the body incident to the removal of a packaged product from said body through an opening between the longitudinal edge portions thereof.

10. The package as defined in claim 1 wherein said preventing means is a coating of barrier material between the inner tab portion of the strip and the junction of said longitudinal edge portions and said one edge portion, and said barrier coating is carried by said body at said juncture.

11. The package as defined in claim 1 wherein said preventing means is a coating of barrier material between the inner tab portion of the strip and the junction of said longitudinal edge portions and said one edge portion, and said barrier coating is carried by said terminal portion of said strip.

12. A readily openable package comprising a generally tubular body, said body having first and second end portions, transverse sealing means sealing said end portions, a longitudinal seam extending between said first and second end portions, said seam being defined by contiguous longitudinal edge portions of said body and a sealing strip overlying said edge portions, pressure-sensitive adhesive securing a major portion of said strip to said longitudinal edge portions, and means preventing said pressure-sensitive adhesive from securing a minor tab portion of said strip to said body whereby said tab portion can be grasped and pulled for removing the major portion of the strip from the body incident to the removal of a packaged product through said body between the longitudinal edge portions thereof, and for permit-ting the reapplication of the major portion of the strip to the longitudinal edge portions of the body after said major portion has at least been once removed.

13. A readily openable and reclosable package com prising a body, said body being formed from sheet material having longitudinal edge portions in contiguous relationship whereby said body is of a generally tubular configuration, said body including axially spaced first and second end portions, transverse means closing said first and second end portions, a sealing strip overlying said longitudinal edge portions between said first and second end portions, pressure-sensitive adhesive means bonding a major portion of said strip to said longitudinal edge portions and means for preventing said pressure-sensitive means from bonding a minor tab portion of said strip to said body whereby said tab portion remains free of said body and can be grasped and pulled for removing the major portion of the strip from the body incident to the removal of a packaged product from said body through an opening between the longitudinal edge portions thereof and permitting subsequent reclosing of the body by reapplying the major portion of the strip through the longitudinal edge portions of the body by manual pressure application thereto.

14. The readily openable and reclosable package as defined in claim 13 wherein said means for preventing the bonding of the pressure sensitive adhesive means is a coating of barrier material which prevents the pressureadhesive means from bonding the minor tab portion of the strip to said body.

15. A readily openable package comprising a generally tubular body, said body having first and second end portions, means closing said end portions, a longitudinal seam extending between said first and second end portions, said seam being defined by contiguous longitudinal edge portions of said body and a sealing strip overlying said edge portions, means securing a major portion of said strip to said longitudinal edge portions, means preventing said securing means from securing a minor tab portion of said strip to one of said first and second end portions whereby said tab portion can be grasped and pulled for removing the major portion of the strip from the body incident to the removal of a packaged product through said body between the longitudinal edge portions thereof, and said closing means are transverse bonds disposed substantially normal to said longitudinal seam.

16. A readily openable package comprising a generally tubular body, said body having first and second end portions, means closing said end portions, a longitudinal seam extending between said first and second end portions, said seam being defined by contiguous longitudinal edge portions of said body and a sealing strip overlying said edge portions, means securing a major portion of said strip to said longitudinal edge portions, means preventing said securing means from securing a minor tab portion of said strip to one of said first and second end portions whereby said tab portion can be grasped and pulled for removing the major portion of the strip from the body incident to the removal of a packaged product through said body between the longitudinal edge portions thereof, said body is formed of sheet material having opposite adhesively incompatible surfaces, and said surfaces are in opposed contacting relationship in the area of said longitudinal edge portions whereby said longitudinal edge portions are free of each other but are secured to said strip.

17. The package as defined in claim 15 wherein said transverse bonds are transverse heat seals.

18. The package as defined in claim 15 wherein said preventing means is barrier material Which prevents the heat-sealing of said minor tab portion to the adjacent transverse heat seal.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,365,651 12/1944 Shively. 3,101,335 3/1963 Walsh 229-51 3,140,315 7/1964 Majesky 22966.116 3,179,327 4/1965 Burton etal 229- 66.124 3,126,796 3/1964 Vergobbi 93 35 3,147,674 9/1964 Hoeppner 93-35 3,311,033 3/1967 Felton @161 229-3.5

FOREIGN PATENTS 625,351 6/1949 Great Britain.

DAVID M. BOCKENEK, Primary Examiner.

GEORGE O. RALSTON, Examiner.

J. R. LECLAIR, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A READILY OPENABLE PACKAGE COMPRISING A GENERALLY TUBULAR BODY, SAID BODY HAVING FIRST AND SECOND END PORTIONS, TRANSVERSE SEALING MEANS SEALING ONE OF SAID END PORTIONS, MEANS CLOSING THE OTHER OF SAID END PORTIONS, SAID BODY HAVING CONTIGUOUS LONGITUDINAL EDGE PORTIONS EXTENDING FROM SAID FIRST END PORTION TOWARD SAID SECOND END PORTION, A SEALING STRIP OVERLYING SAID EDGE PORTIONS, MEANS SECURING A MAJOR PORTION OF SAID STRIP TO SAID LONGITUDINAL EDGE PORTIONS, AND MEANS PREVENTING SAID SECURING MEANS FROM SECURING A MINOR TAB PORTION OF SAID STRIP TO SAID ONE END PORTION WHEREBY SAID TAB PORTION REMAINS FREE OF SAID BODY AND CAN BE GRASPED AND PULLED FOR AT LEAST PARTIALLY REMOVING THE MAJOR PORTION OF THE STRIP FROM THE BODY INCIDENT TO THE REMOVAL OF THE PACKAGED PRODUCT THROUGH SAID BODY BETWEEN THE LONGITUDINAL EDGE PORTIONS THEREOF. 